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(N0 Modl.) 2 s eeeeeeeee et 1 J. B. GRIFFIN. PEDAL BELL SIGNAL DEVIGE.

No. 396,868. Patented Jan 29, 1889.

M Him 2 sheets sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. 'B. GRIFFIN. PEDAL BELL SIGNAL DEVICE.

Patented Jan. 29, 1889'.

FlillllllIItL N. PETERS"Pholmulhcgraphur, Washmglon, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

JOHN B. GRIFFIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JULIA FRANCES GRIFFIN AND THOMAS II. KEEFE,

BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

PEDAL BELL-SIGNAL. DEVICE.-

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,868, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed September 10, 1888. Serial No. 285,091. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at( hicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pedal Bell-Signal Devices, (Case 1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming [O a part of this specification.

- It is common to provide upon street-cars,

wagons, or buggies used in the fire-alarm service, and sometimes upon other vehicles, signal-bells, which are usually rung by pulling a I 5 cord attached to the arm carrying the bellhammer. In some cases a bell has been used upon the lireanarshals buggy, which bell has been so arranged that it maybe rung by pressure of the foot, a distinct movement of the foot being required each time the gong is sounded. Thus in either case the constant attention of the one who is ringing the bell is required to keep it ringing. Such careful attention as is thus required is not always con- 2 5 sistent with the care and attention that may be required at the sametime to drive the horses or, in the case, for example, of a grip-car, to drive the grip. In case of the driver of a grip-car -as is generally known to 3 those accustomed to this means of conveyance-he must use both hands at the same time, both in stopping and in starting. Therefore it is desirable to provide ready means for continuously ringing the bell without the aid 3 5 of the hands and with only such slightattention or volition of the driver as will not distract his attention from his other work. This I have accomplished by means of a pedal device connected with the arm or support for the bell-hammer, in combination with radial projections upon the revolving axle, wheel, or hub of the car or vehicle, and so arranged that on pressing down the pedal the bell-hammer support will be brought in such relation to the radial projections as to be vibrated thereby,

to cause the hammer to strike the gong.

I preferably connect the pedal device with the bell-hammer support by a yielding connectionwhieh maybe any suitable spring or elastic bandin order that the vibrations of the hairliner-support may not be communicated to the pedal, so as to be annoying to the driver.

In case of grip-cars I preferably arrange two sets of signal devices and provide for locking one set in such position that it will not be in operative condition while the other bell-signal device is operativethat is to say, I so arrange the two sets of bell-signals that one will be operative when the car is going in one direction, while the other will be operative when the car is going in the opposite direction.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of two sets of bell-signal devices applied to a grip-car, as seen from section-line X X of Fig. Fig. 2 is a view illustrative of a modification of the spring or yielding connection between the pedal and bell-hammer support. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the grip-car shown in Fig. 1 provided with my invention. Figs. el and 5 are modifications of my invention, designed more especially for fire-marshals wagons. Fig. 6 is a front view of another style of gripcar, showing mybell-signal device applied thereto, the gong being placed near the roof of the car. Fig. '7 is a side elevation of my bell-signal device, shown also in Fig. 6.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different figures.

I will first describe my invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 and It will be understood that the roof of the grip-car is removed and that the front and rearplatforms are shown broken away. I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the gripping or driving mechanism of the car, this being a wellknown construction and forming no part of my invention. It will be understood, fur- 0 their, that the driver stands at the center of the car when cars of the form shown in Figs.

1 and 3 are used. It is therefore in such case necessary to place the pedals near the center of the car, so as to be within reach of the 5 drivers foot. As these cars are designed to be driven in either direction, I have provided two sets of bell signal devices, one set being constructed to be operated by rotary motion 111 one direction, and the other set being constructed to be operated by rotary motion in the opposite direction. The car, we will suppose, is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The gong a is preferably placed, as shown, near the front of the car. The bell-hammer support I) is pivoted, preferably as shown, to the floor-of the ear and extends downwardlythrough the floor. The lower on d of the bell-hamm er support Z) is preferably weighted, so that it may ordinarily hang down in position to be out of the path of the radial projections provided upon the axle. Upon the axle I provide the radial projections 0. These projections may be in the form of wings, preferably placed at uniform distances apart and projecting radially, as shown. As shown in the drawings, these win are provided upon a sleeve which 1s adapted to be slipped over the axle and keyed thereto. It is obvious, however, that the construction of the radial projections is not material so long as they are adapted to perform the work required. The pedal g is pivoted, as shown, beneath the ear, the footpiece projecting above the floor. The connection between the pedal device g and the bell-hammer support may be a Hat bandsprlng, (l, or any other suitable yielding connection.

The operation of my signal device is briefly as follows: The driver, by stepping on footpiece 6, raises the weighted lower end of the bell-hammer support I), so as to bring said lower end into the path of the radial projections 0. These p roj eetion s, being-carried upon the rotating axle, strike successively upon the bell-hammer support, thus vibrating the bellhammer and causing it to strike the gong (L each time one of the projections comes against the weighted end of the support. Thus the driver, by holding the foot-piece e depressed in the position shown, causes the bell to ring continuously or until the pressure is removed from the pedal. The other set of the signaling devices consists of the gong a, the bellhammer support Z), the pedal g, and the coiled spring f, "forming the yielding connection between the pedal 9' and the bell-hammer support I). The radial projections c are the same in operation as the radial projections c, herctofore described. A third form of the yielding connection is shown at 71 in Fig. 2. In Figs. 4 and 5 the radial. projections are shown upon the hub of the wagon, the gong, the pedal, and the hammer-support being placed in convenient position, as shown, so that the bell may be operated by pressing continuously upon the foot-piece of the pedal.

The modifications shown in Figs. 6 and 7 require no special description, it being understood that cars of this style are always run in the same direction.

I am aware that gon gs have been heretofore secured to vehicles, the hammer whereof has been adjustably actuated in the movement of said vehicle by pressure exerted upon a pedal device, as is shown and described in German Patent No. 27,337 to Julius Riedel; but, so far as I am aware, no device operated substan tially as the herein-described invention has been heretofore mad e.

Having thus described my invention as embodied in several .forms of mechanism, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction shown, since there are various modifications of my invention which would readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I have shown the lower end of the bell-hammer weighted. It is evident that a spring might be used as the equivalent of the weight.

I claim as my invention and desire to se cure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with one or more radial projections rigidly secured to the rotatory axle or hub of a vehicle, of a gong secured to the body or frame-work of the vehicle, a bellhammer mounted on a pivoted arm and actuated to sound said gong by the pivotal movement of the arm when operated by the revolvin g of said radial projections, and a pedal device, also secured to the body or framework of the vehicle and yieldingly connected with the said pivoted arm, whereby on depressing said pedal device said pivoted arm is brought into the path of the revolving radial projections and operated thereby, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination,with the revolving axle or hub of a vehicle, of radial win or projections thereon rigidly secured thereto, a pedal device, and a pivoted bell-hammer support secured to the body or frame-work of said vehicle, whereby on depressing the pedal one end of the bell-hamm er support is moved into the pathway of and actuated by the rotation of the wings or radial projections as said vehicle is propelled, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of August, A. D. 1888.

JOHN B. GRIFFIN.

ll itnesses:

GEORGE P. BARTON, ALBERT H. PARKER.

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